A Texas city council voted on Tuesday to prohibit the enforcement of any COVID-19 mandate implemented at the federal or state level.
The City of Odessa's resolution was presented by City Council Member Chris Hanie, who said residents should decide for themselves whether to mask up, KOSA reported.
"Nobody’s gonna lose a job because they don’t get a stick or they have to wear a mask," Hanie said.
According to Hanie, Odessa is not seeing an increase in coronavirus cases.
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"When they started threatening that they were gonna make mask mandates and vaccines, well how many things did you lose? We lost businesses, businesses were going under left and right, everybody was put into a position of 'We're gonna lose it' so not this time," Hanie said.
State Representative Brian Harrison, who served as chief of staff of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the Trump administration partnered with the City of Odessa.
"Joe Biden and his administration are trying to bring back Covid tyranny for round two," Harrison said.
"It is incumbent on states, freedom-loving patriots, elected republicans," he added. "I don't care quite frankly what party you are. If you believe in freedom, it's incumbent on you to stand up and push back against another round of COVID tyranny."
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Harrison filed the Texas COVID Vaccine Freedom Act in the state legislature to ban all COVID-19 vaccine mandates in the Lone Star State, but the state House killed the bill.
"I hope that tonight’s bold, brave action in defense of medical freedom, individual liberty, informed consent, I hope this causes city after city and other counties across Texas and across America to see the courage on display here and I hope the courage is contagious," Harrison said.
Harrison said he believes Odessa is the first city in the state to ban coronavirus mandates.
